


Do you remember?

by MooshiTheBear



Category: Animaniacs
Genre: Amnesia, Anxiety, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Major Character Injury, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:54:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28021257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MooshiTheBear/pseuds/MooshiTheBear
Summary: When Yakko gets hurt and losses all his memories, Wakko and Dot struggle to accept the new Yakko. Turns out their brother isn't as fearless as they once believed and as his memories slowly begin fading in, they begin to wonder if he'd be happier if he never remembered.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 172





	1. Tin can

**Author's Note:**

> This is a world building fic, the first chapter is a bit short but upcoming chapters will be longer.
> 
> Thank you so much to @irldotwarner on tumblr for beta reading this chapter

"Sir, they are just kids-"

That is the same sad excuse I hear every time you children cause a mess. If I could go one meeting or recording session without one of you idiots being a pain!” The director yelled out in frustration, his hands grabbing at his hair as Yakko tried to keep a brave face. "I can't do this anymore. Mrs. Norita will know about this and all the other problems you’ve been causing.”

Yakko's eyes widened, his siblings clutching tightly to his khaki pants. “No! No no, I promise they meant no harm! They are just bored is all, they’re-”

“They’re what? Just kids? Well, it’s time those kids learned a little discipline then huh?” He glared at them, turning his back to the oldest.

“Like they aren't disciplined enough…” Yakko mumbled to himself. He hated how much power everyone had above them. On top of the embarrassment it made him feel defeated.

They were doing a script discussion, outing ideas, and looking over public reviews. The Warners were by far the most bored of the group, Yakko at least appeared like he was trying to pay attention. Dot was coloring all over her notes with pink crayons and Wakko was chewing on his. Yakko had been trying to keep their attention, but Dot only ignored him and Wakko would give aggravated whines like he was threatening a tantrum. When Wakko began complaining about an "emergency" however, the building aggravations of the unreliable power caused by the storm and the Warners' constant interruptions finally pushed the director over the edge. Everyone was sent home early, Yakko earning most of the scolding as his siblings hid behind him.

“Come on sibs…” Yakko huffed, turning around and pushing them towards the door. A few others in the room took glances at them, a few more snobby individuals snickering in the Warners directions. Yakko tried not to give them attention, his face flushed in humiliation. Once they had left the room, Dot’s quiet voice spoke up from below.

“I’m sorry, Yakko.” Yakko sighed, hearing her voice strain as she tried not to cry. He simply laid a hand on his siblings' heads. “It's alright…”

The wind blew the door open as soon as the knob was turned, Wakko and Dot stayed glued to Yakko’s pants in nervousness. As they ventured out into the pouring rain, Yakko tried his best to hover over them. After a bit of walking he stopped, realized it was pointless, and focused more on making sure they hurried to the tower.

The storm came unexpectedly, the rain and wind tearing at the Warner’s ears as they forced their way through the weather. The water on the concrete was ankle-deep, the splashes their feet made were unheard by the trio as the storm covered sound. Completely soaked through their clothes and fur, their collective goal was the water tower. They heavily doubted anyone would allow them shelter in a house or building. Scratchy maybe, but the tower was already in full view.

Lightning brightened up the sky, thunder following soon after and rumbling the clouds. Yakko watched his siblings flinch, the wind picking up and blowing their fur back harshly. Yakko was overwhelmed by the storm, barely even noticing when his siblings began to run towards the tower as fast as they could. 

"Sibs!" He called out, the sharp rain stinging his skin as it shot down, his eyes narrowed and blinking. They couldn't hear him over the storm, even his voice sounded muffled by the wind's rage. He contemplated calling again but instead decided not to waste his breath and ran after. 

As the wind screamed and the thunder rolled, hidden under the sounds was the whine of creaking metal. The water tower being pushed forward by the wind, its metal supports weakening under the stress. 

The creaking echoed across the warner lot, the rain beating the ground and buildings almost muffled it. Yakko thought he heard something. The whine whispered in his ears. The tower was leaning towards them, the growl of angry steel eventually drawing Yakko's gaze up towards it. His eyes widened; a new rush of adrenaline fighting through his freezing veins. 

"Wakko! Dot!" He called, his legs pushing against the ground and water with every ounce of strength he had in him. The rain pushed back, his mouth open in another silent scream for his siblings. 

They couldn't go to the tower. His mind had realized it wasn't safe the moment his eyes landed on it. More than 60 years without maintenance weakens things. The tower itself had never been touched since the day they were locked inside, afraid if they tried to rebuild or fix it the Warner’s would escape and cause havoc. An extra 22 years later and still no one had bothered. Yakko tried to believe it was because they didn’t want to bother him and his siblings, but he knew full well it was because they cared very little about them.

Yakko felt sick as he screamed in terror as his siblings kept running, his feet moving as fast as his stiff body would allow. He pushed himself, his lungs burning as he called out in desperate attempts to stop his siblings from continuing any farther.

The tower’s support beams made repetitive clicks and whines, dot and Wakko sliding to a halt and looking up at the leaning tower. They stared wide-eyed and fearful, the bolts holding the opposite side ripping from the ground and letting the tower bend freely from its spot and tip towards the ground. 

The sound of ripping metal made Yakko’s heart stop, panic gripping every hair on his body and tugging. The older brother dashed towards his siblings as fast as his weighed down legs could go, his hands reaching out and pushing the young ones as far right as he could. He felt the impact through his arms, the 2 stumbling and running towards the nearest building. None made it, however, as the tower dropped down to the ground like an oversized soda can. The metal top crushed against the ground, as 2 stray support beams rang heavily from the impact. 

The shockwave was enough to shake the ground, knocking over the Warner kids and cracking the concrete underneath. The crash was loud even the pounding rain silent in comparison. They covered their ears and heads with soaked hands. Tears flooded from their eyes, but with the rain, it was barely noticeable.

Yakko lifted his head from the wet lot, his gaze blurry as he glanced at his siblings. They were laying on the ground, hands over their head and mouths open in loud sobs. He wanted to move and get close to him, but he found exhaustion pulled at his shaking body and prevented him from lifting himself off the ground. 

“Sibs!” He croaked out, his gloved hand sliding across the ground and making its way up closer to his face. His desperate call went unheard, but eventually, the 2 turned around with terrified expressions. Wakko was holding Dot in his arms, as he turned and sat on the ground it was clear his knees and chin were scrapped. The palms of his white gloves were torn and dirty. They didn’t look severely injured, though he couldn’t speak for Dot.

He didn’t want to look, but found himself turning towards the mess, they once called home, crumbled to the ground. His legs twitched in response to his will to move, Yakko pulled his gaze away to focus on the more pressing matter at hand. They needed to find a secure shelter, someplace lower to the ground and not in such disrepair. Their only choice seemed to be scratchy at the moment, his hand pushing at the ground. Nothing much happened, however.

Wakko was at least slightly hurt, probably from the shove out of the way and the impact knocking them over. Dot had turned to look at him, though she didn’t appear hurt.

His eyes closed with the struggle to stand, his body trembling with anxiety and effort. He missed the sounds of his siblings' warnings. He missed their panicked expressions and loud footsteps as they rushed to catch him. What he didn't miss however was the feeling of one of the 2 remaining tower support beams tipping over toward him. 

In an instant white-hot pain spread from his head, the beam rolling down over and laying on his legs as he collapsed back down to the ground. 

The world was blurry and suffocating, black static filling his gaze and running along his skin. He didn't hear his siblings approach, nor did he feel the way one pushed at the beam and the other cradled his head. He was asleep long before that.


	2. Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to @irl_dot_warner on tumblr for beta reading this chapter.

Dot flipped the page of her book, the quiet constant beep of the heart monitor like white noise. Wakko had found he couldn’t sleep without the sound while Dot fought to reassure herself that if she stepped out of the room and she couldn't hear the beeping, that didn't mean it stopped. The sound meant that somehow, their older brother was alive. The sound had become oddly soothing like it picked up the slack of Yakko's chattering mouth when the male stayed silent.

She glimpsed up at him, his body limp in the hospital bed as he slept. His chest moved slowly as he breathed, though she wasn’t sure how he could breathe with the tube down his nose. He was hooked up to a bunch of hospital equipment, machines, and IVs. They gave him everything, food, oxygen, blood, medicines. He looked so different wearing a hospital gown, his gloveless hands an oddity. She couldn't remember the last time Yakko was gloveless, it was just something toons always had. Most of the time his hands were under the blanket, so it was easy to ignore.

Wakko was asleep on the end of Yakko's bed, drooling off the side as he nestled up to his hat. Dot had asked him not to hug or sleep on Yakko, which he quickly understood her reasoning. They were terrified of triggering something again.

The accident was 4 weeks ago, the month pulling along agonizingly slow. Despite the time, Dot still found herself remembering the accident in every exact detail. When they heard the sickening crack of their brother's skull, they cried out in terror and anguish. At first, they assumed he was dead, the way his breathing faltered. He was out cold, eyes closed, body limp, breathing ragged. When he opened up his mouth in a loud inhale, the last thing they were expecting was an ear-piercing shriek. There was no emotion behind it other than pain, his body showed no signs of emotional distress except screaming. He looked empty, dead. Blood dripped from his head and back, staining his siblings' clothes. Yet his voice rang heavily through the air for what felt like hours. The doctor had explained it was a symptom of head trauma, but they had never seen it before in a toon.

Toons were different from humans in a multitude of ways. One main way, however, was durability. Toons very truly sprung back from a hit no matter how hard with surprising swiftness, but there's a reason for that. Toon items work differently than regular items. Take, for instance, a mallet. While a real mallet could easily break an arm, a toon mallet would cause an arm to bend like crumpled paper and appear hurt despite no real damage being done. Even humans can be affected in very toon-like ways if hurt by a toon item. Dr. Scratchansniff had been the butt of those toon pranks from the Warners far too many times, but those bothersome gags were the only reason they could hit him with such force without actually hurting him. Real-world items, however, could hurt toons. They still heal rather quickly, but it can take weeks or months depending on the severity for a toon to recover from a real accident. Yakko was lucky to be alive.

Dot stood up and pulled the armchair up closer to her sleeping brother. She often read, sang, or just spoke to him. She didn’t know if he could hear her or not, but she took the chance he could. Yakko despised being alone. If he could hear, the silence must be deafening. 

“I didn’t bring the last book I was reading to you, instead I got this history book. Wakko wanted to give it to you when you woke up, but I know how much you love history so if you can hear me you might be more interested in it. It's about the renaissance...”

Dot spoke as she shoved her book into her bag and pulled out a second, earning silence as an answer. It had been hard for everyone in different ways, the trauma of watching your brother get crushed under the place you call home was especially hard for the younger warner sibs. Wakko barely spoke a word since the accident, his appetite decreasing as well. Dot had been forcing him to eat for the past few days after he stopped trying to eat all together, she could tell he was mourning.

Dot herself had been struggling with sleep. While Wakko only wanted to sleep next to his brother, Dot couldn’t convince herself to do the same. Every time she closed her eyes the vivid images of her brother's accident would flash across her mind. The nightmares plagued her, the noises of doctors coming in and out always disturbing her now light sleeping. 

Despite being 90 years old in human years, their toon age remained the same. Dot was 9, Wakko was 11, and Yakko was 14. They were still mentally and physically kids, no amount of time could change that. They weren't drawn to age. That childlike mindset was hard to ignore during times like this.

She opened the book with a gentle hand, reading out loud to the quiet room. She liked to believe sometimes her voice was Yakko’s, reading his book she didn’t care about out loud and raved about some person she didn’t know. She missed it.

A few times Yakko had caused quite a lot of trouble for the doctors even though he was in a coma. First, when they changed his clothes the pure amount of toon items made it near impossible. Bologna, pie, a few wigs, and a stuffed fish. The Warners had never had real control of their toon powers, but if the situation wasn't so drastic they might have believed Yakko was being difficult on purpose. Next was the heart monitor. A few times Yakko's heart had sped up, his eyes fluttering and his throat admitting some croaked noise as if it was a question. He had been in and out a few times, the incidences being longer and longer each time. Last time he didn't open his eyes, but he did grumble about the harsh lighting and scrunched up his face. Each time had filled her with hope, but the doctors were quick to reassure her that was normal too.

Carefully she opened the book, clearing her throat as she flipped to the first real page. She read the book slowly, making sure to keep an eye on Wakko so she didn’t wake him. 

The words spun together in an eventual blur, her tired mind drooped as the boring book seemed to stretch on endlessly. She was never a true fan of history. She began to nod, reading the same line over and over before eventually giving up and closing this book with a quiet motion. She looked back up to her brother, glancing down at Wakko again. From the window she knew it was late, turning her head to the clock to confirm it was 2:43 am. 

Dot lifted the blanket laid across Yakko, gently pulling his hand out from under the blanket. His fingertips had harder skin that acted as "paw beans." She wasn't sure what else to call them. His fingers had black fur which slowly faded to a white palm. All 3 of them had the same hands, though the fact was known by little to no people seeing as their gloves were never removed in public unless on accident. When the doctors are inside, she’s quick to help by covering his hands with the blanket. Wakko had asked why it was so important at some point but was never given a real answer. It's just odd to have them off, like walking around naked. A toon without gloves, that was meant to have them, were often looked down on like they were a lower being. Thought of as bums, out of work, or poor. 

She reached out and grabbed Yakko's hand, holding it with her own as she looked up at him. This is the moment when he was supposed to wake up, that cliche part where his hand grips hers tighter and he opens his eyes and it's happily ever after. Nothing happened though. No hand twitch, no increase in heartbeat. 

She didn't hide her disappointment seeing as no one was awake around her, instead, she pouted and rubbed his hand with her thumb. Finally, she stood out of the chair and carefully climbed up the side of the bed and laid down next to her older brother. She hugged his hand, letting out a shaky sigh. 

The doctors said everything would be ok. She knew her brother would eventually wake up, but a part of her was terrified something was wrong. Tears pricked her eyes, her exhaustion and her brother's fake embrace causing her walls to crumble. Tears matted her fur as she wept, hugging her brother's hand close to her. 

When a second hand touched her side, she jolted, accidentally kicking Yakko in the possess. Wakko stared down at her with a worried expression, his hands fiddling with his hat.

"Sorry I didn't mean-"

"Sorry I didn't mean-"

Both paused as they spoke at the same time, cutting each other off. Giggles bubbling out of their mouths as Dot wiped her tears. Wakko put his hat back on and smiled.

"Seriously I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's cool... I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't..." Wakko lifted his hand and pointed to the heart monitor, the male's heartbeat increasing from a slow beat to a more steady one. "That did."

Dot gasped as she moved to dangle her legs off the side of the bed, her face turning to view her brother's limb form. Nothing happened, but the tension in the room was quickly rising. Just as Dot had assumed enough and was about to call for a nurse, one rushed inside. She had been alerted by the heart monitor. Dot jumped off the bed, Wakko following suit, and both siblings stared and awaited an answer.

Every motion the nurse made was ignored by Dot as she watched Yakko's face with determination. When he took a deep but quiet intake of air, she watched the nurse hovering over him. She hadn't noticed the new crowd of doctors, nor had she noticed Wakko squeezing her hand. She only registered the smile from the nurse and her hopeful voice. 

"can you hear me?"

A chill of anxiety, the room spinning. The one-word reply stuck her and made her heart flutter.

"Yes..."

It was weak, more of a croak than an actual voice. It was, however, enough to bring Wakko and Dot as quickly as they could back to the bed to look at Yakko. Their tails wagged with excitement, both having happy tears pool in their eyes as they cried his name. Instead of a smile, however, a blank expression with 2 dark blue eyes stared back at them. Yakko's eyes filled with a new emotion, the emotion spilling out of his eyes in the form of tears. Fear, confusion, being overwhelmed. Maybe all 3. Whatever it was, it wasn't what anyone had expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kind words for chapter one!! There's a lot of important world building in this chapter.


End file.
